Marble coaster



Jan. 25, I

G. M. NELSON MARBLE COASTER Filed August 8, 1925 eeorgeulv f o BYQMZE \U%NEY Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

GEORGE M; NELSON, OF ESGALON, CALIFORNIA.

MARBLE CO'ASTER.

Application filed'August 8', 1925; Serial no. 48,979;

This inventionrelates to improvements in novelty structures and is particularly direct'ed towards adevice whiclf may beused either as a playthingor as an advertising novelty.

The object of the invention is to provide a means whereby a number of marbles'may be continuously moved'around a spiral conduit in such a way as to catch the eye, both when used as a plaything by children or when used as an advertising novelty to catch the eye in window displays and the like.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the complete device partly broken out in section to show how the marbles move from the lower end of the conduit into the elevator.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the elevator taken on a line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on a line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particualrly to the characters of reference marked on the drawings the numeral 1 designates a substantially rectangular frame consisting of four corner posts and top and bottom cross pieces, the four sides of the rectangular frame be ing enclosed in glass 2 or other transparent material.

On the outside of the frame 1 and we tending also around the outside of the glasses 2 is a marble conduit consisting of bottom boards or plates 3 set edge-wise against the glasses 2 and outside side boards or plates 4.. Thus looking down on the top of the apparatus the inside of the conduit may be seen and also by looking through the transparent sides 2, the inside of the conduit can likewise be seen.

This conduit starts at one corner of the upper side of the frame 1 and spirals around the frame to a point near the bottom thereof. At this point it is provided with an opening 5 through the side walls of a vertical elevator housing 6, the conduit at that pointha'ving a suitable top 7 to prevent the marbles-from jumping out. The elevator housing 6 extends vertically'in one corner of the frame 1 a-ndis completelyenclosed.

At the upper'and lower ends are journaled shafts 8 and 9 respectively around which isadriven belt 10 carryinga number of outwardlyprojecting slats 11; The housing 6 near its upper end is provided 55 with an outlet opening 12 communicating with the marble conduit at that point. There is a protecting plate 13 on the side of the conduit immediately opposite this opening so as to prevent the marbles from jumping out of the conduit as they leave the elevator. The elevator may be operated by a crank-handle 14: on the upper shaft 8, or by a small motor 15 connected with the lower shaft by a belt and pulley or other connection 16.

WVhen the device is used as a toy it will be operated by the child through the medium of the handle 14:. The marbles will be fed into the conduit and due to its downward spiral will roll around by gravity in a rapid manner. They will pass through the opening 5 onto the elevator slats 11 and will be lifted thereby to the top opening 12 where they will again pass into the conduit so that the motion thereof will be continuous as long as the elevator is being operated.

When used as a window display the device will be operated by the motor and the marbles will continuously and rapidly pass through the conduit and be lifted by the ele vator, the motion of the marbles passing along the conduit being clearly visible by looking through the transparent sides 2 of the device. Such a motion would readily catch the eye in a display window, causing people to stop, which is the purpose of such devices where used in connection with windows in which are displayed goods in con nection with which it is the desire of the merchant to catch the eye of the public.

From the foregoing description it will. be readily seen thatI have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in de-- tail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims,

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a rectangular receptacle having transparent sides, a conduit arranged spirally around the receptacle, the transparent sides of the receptacle forming one side of the conduit and the other sides being opaque whereby objectsrolling around the conduit will be visible only throiiigh such transparent sides of the receptacle.

2. A device as in claim 1, and means to raise objects from the lower to the upper end of the conduit.

3. A device of the character described including a vertical elevator housing, a spiral conduit leading from the upper to the lower end of the housing, the outlet from the housing inclining downwardly into the conduit and the inlet from the conduit inclining downwardly into the housing, and an elevator within the housing comprising a vertically running belt, projecting slats on the belt arranged to just clear the sides of the housing and to pass the conduit openings, the slats being set at an angle to the belt to slope downwardly toward such openings whereby as the slats pass the upper outlet into the conduit the articles being lifted by the conveyor will roll by gravity down the inclined slat-s into such outlet.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature,

GEORGE M. NELS .ll. 

